E5M1: Ochre Cliffs (Heretic)

E5M1: Ochre Cliffs is the first level in The Stagnant Demesne episode of Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders. It uses the music track "Acacia" by Kevin Schilder.

Essentials
This is perhaps one of the most difficult levels in the whole game, particularly when playing on thou art a smite-meister (SM) skill level, with several iron liches and a maulotaur. Conservation of ammo and artifacts is essential.

You start on a lawn with multiple gargoyles and golems (plus nitrogolems on SM or higher) who are facing away from you. Take the Gauntlets of the Necromancer in the north-east corner, then go to the bottom of the large staircase and walk through the doorway here to enter a moss-covered room overlooked by nitrogolems; there is an Ethereal Crossbow at the west end of the room, but taking it will lower the columns behind you and release undead warriors. Approaching the Crossbow will also lower lifts in the corners of the room, which hold gargoyles on SM or higher - ride any of these lifts up to the next floor then head west to collect the yellow key.

Head north down a set of steps, then east up a second set to reach a ledge overlooking the starting area which has a Silver Shield. Drop down to the staircase then go up a few steps and through a doorway on your left to see a yellow key door, which leads to a maze infested with golem ghosts. As soon as you enter take the east path then turn right to find a Dragon Claw, then head north-west until you find a tunnel leading to a green key door. Go through the opening next to this door to enter a room with nitrogolem ghosts (the room will darken as you enter), then press the switch on the south wall to lower a lift that goes up to a Morph Ovum; getting on the lift is necessary to progress further in the level, while taking the Ovum will release disciples of D'Sparil (and two iron liches on bringest them oneth or higher) on either side.

Leave the maze and go back outside to find that a step has risen on the staircase, letting you climb to the top where you will find another doorway. As soon as you go through it, open the wall directly ahead to find a disciple protecting a Chaos Device then go inside this hidden chamber to raise a bridge spanning the lava pool to the east. Head across the bridge, which is overlooked by undead warriors, to collect a Hellstaff then go back outside to see that a step has risen allowing you to climb up to the green key. Go back to the green key door in the maze and open it to find nitrogolem ghosts guarding a switch, which will reveal the blue key elsewhere in the maze, then leave the room and head east (going through the neighboring room to the north is the most direct route) to find the key behind a Mystic Urn; taking the key will seal the entrances and release disciples on either side of you. To escape, enter the south compartment and walk through the false south wall.

Go back to the lava pool and drop off the south side of the bridge, then get on the lift that lowers to reach a stone ledge - you must press the switch on the east wall to lower the exit teleporter, but the south wall will lower to reveal two iron liches (or a maulotaur on SM or higher). Fight your way to the teleporter on the west side to get back to the bridge, then head across it and open the blue key door on the other side to find two undead warriors guarding a Wings of Wrath and the exit.

Other points of interest
On SM or higher, the switch that lowers the exit teleporter is defended by a maulotaur - due to its close proximity and the limited ammo in this level, it should be fought using the Gauntlets of the Necromancer combined with a Tome of Power. One Tome is located behind the maulotaur, and a second is placed north-east of the yellow key (a third Tome, located in the center of the maze, does not appear on SM or higher). Climbing out of the lava pool also lowers a wall on the north side, revealing one to three iron liches and a Map Scroll.

If the Firemace spawns in this level, you will find it in one of the following locations:
 * On a ledge in the north-west corner of the starting area. You can get there by going north and east from the yellow key.
 * Halfway up the steps in the starting area.
 * Inside the hidden chamber with the disciple and the Chaos Device.
 * Behind the green key door in the maze area.

Official

 * 1) After you get the green key, or after you enter the room where you found it, quickly jump down into the river to the south. At the east end, you will find that a lift has been lowered, allowing you to drop down into a cave with a Phoenix Rod, Mace Spheres, Greater Runes, a Quartz Flask and two Crystal Vials. (sector 33)

Non-official

 * There are two brown ledges overlooking the starting area which hold a Ring of Invulnerability and an Enchanted Shield. You will need the Wings of Wrath found at the end of the level to get to them, and taking either item will release a disciple.

Bugs
The blue key is placed behind two linedefs that trigger an ambush - the first line raises the floors at the entrances to seal you in the room, while the second line lowers the walls on either side to reveal disciples and an alternative exit. It is possible to trigger the first part of the trap and quickly exit the room before the floors fully raise, without opening the alternative route to the room, thus making the blue key inaccessible.

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The data was last verified in its entirety on May 12, 2023.

Player spawns
This level contains four spawn points:
 * 1) facing north-west. (thing 88)
 * 2) facing east. (thing 89)
 * 3) facing south. (thing 90)
 * 4) facing east. (thing 91)

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: